Allen Frances Donovan was an accomplished aeronautical engineer who worked for several aeronautical firms between 1936 and 1946, and headed the aeronautical mechanics department at Cornell University 1946-1955. He later became a corporate executive with the Aerospace Corp., serving as senior vice president, technical, 1960-1978. He served also on several government advisory boards, including the President's Science Advisory Committee, 1959-1968.